More Like Guidelines
by Ruby Slipper
Summary: Commodore Norrington is bethrothed. But, Ally, his fiancee, committs the ulitmate form of betrayal, according to James. But do her reasons for her act make perfectly good sense? And what is her relation to Captain Jack Sparrow? May become M rating. JNOC
1. Chapter 1: Release Him

**A/N: New story. Testing the waters. Tell me what you think. **

**Prologue: Release Him**

Her dress was gathered in her hands, her hair was flying freely behind her, and her face was flushed for she had never run that fast since she was a child. She barged through the door -the barricade- as if she were fleeing a fire.

"Release him." She was surprised she had enough oxygen in her lungs to force the words out.

"I beg your pardon?" He did not look up at her. He kept his attention focused on his task at hand: the disturbing letters from Lord Beckett.

"Release him at once." She repeated. Her voice was stern. It usually granted her what she wanted, but she knew this man better.

"Gillette, remove Lady Claire from my office. I have not the time to deal with her silly demands."

Gillette nodded and made way for her arm. "Do not put your hands on me, you filthy pig," She spat.

"My apologies, Milady." He bowed and gestured for the door. "Commodore Norrington is busy at the moment. Perhaps this discussion would be better held at a later date?"

Alison Claire ignored the man's words. She was a Lady of nobility. She would not take sugar-coated orders from anyone. "I demand you release him at once!" She never had to fight for anything in her life, but she was prepared to.

He dropped his pen, but did not look up. He could not look up. Her eyes would make him cave. "Do not forget your place, Lady Claire. You are not speaking to one of your servants." His tone was coy and threatening. Any other person would falter at the sound, but not her.

She tried a different approach. "James, please. I beg of you. Release him." Her words dripped with desperation and her eyes held hopelessness. But Commodore Norrington would not notice, for he could not look her in her eyes. They were the color of the freshest blade of grass, and oh how he loved to lay in the soft grass on a sunny day.

"Do not address me so informally. You are in my quarters now. You will address me as 'Commodore'. I have killed men for less." It was a lie, but he would never give her the satisfaction of his enjoyment of his first name bouncing off her plump lips.

"Commodore. I have never begged in my life. But if that is what it will take, than so be it." She stepped closer to his desk.

James could smell her. She smelled of Lilac. "I told you to leave the Lilac bushes alone, Alison. You know that I cannot stand the scent." Another lie. He adored the scent. But he did not want her to be the least bit desirable; an impossible task, and that he was finding out the hard way.

"I'm sorry. You know that I love them so." It was beyond her how anyone could despise the smell of fresh lilacs. But this man was atypical. She remembered the task at hand. He always distracted her. She knew he did it on purpose. "Are you going to release him or am I just wasting my time?"

"You are, no doubt, wasting your time. I gave too much of myself trying to capture the wretched man. No silly little girl will ruin that." Again, a lie. She was beyond a silly little girl. She was a beautiful woman who possessed a fiery spirit that James would love to claim as his.

"Silly little girl? It is funny that you should say that. I can recall another 'silly little girl' that had you swooning ridiculously. And it is apparent that she has taken your heart with her to the grave. I will never forgive her for that, because now, I have to live the rest of my life with a heartless man."

"How dare you?" He finally looked up into her eyes. He was too infuriated to become lost in her pools of green. He stood up and slowly, dangerously slowly, walked up to his fiancée. "You are nothing to me. Why should I throw away my life's work for someone who cares not for the well being of others? Your words are that of an old, bitter, cynical woman. You are filled with envy. I will do nothing for you. We will marry, you will have my children, and that will be your only use to me. Nothing more, nothing less." His words were like the sharpest dagger through her breaking heart.

"I never expected to be anything more to you. And if this man's capture is your life's work, than you have bigger problems to be dealt with." And with those words of hatred said, she stalked out of his office with tears of rage and sadness warming the corners of her eyes.

**A/N: I think you know who the captured man may be. But, why is she so adamant on his release? Is this story worthy of another chapter? All comments are greatly, wonderfully, appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Egotistical

**A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers! You guys rock my socks and you are the reason that there is another chapter!**

**Chapter One: Egotistical**

Ally knew that her desires needed to be fulfilled by her and her alone. She could not trust anyone in Port Royal. They were gossipers and could not keep a secret. The juicier the secret, the more people they told.

Alison yawned. She had been sitting by the fire for what felt like ages. She was awaiting the return of her fiancée. He had been in his office since their dispute this afternoon. Ally gazed into the flames as she hugged her cup of tea. It was cold. It had been cold for hours.

"Pardon the intrusion, Milady." It was Henry, the head servant of the household. He had brought some more logs to throw into the blazing fireplace.

"No matter," she replied. Her voice was quieted by exhaustion.

"Forgive me for being bold, Madame, but why not retire?" He asked as he placed the extra wood beside the mantle.

"I am waiting Commodore Norrington's return. Have you any word on when he will be home?"

"I regret that I have not, Lady Claire. But with the air as chilly as is, I expect he will be home any moment." He bowed and began to retreat to the kitchens.

"Henry?"

"Yes, Milady?" He asked, turning around.

"Do you know of the time?"

He pulled out his pocket watch. "10:30, Madame. Can I get you anything else? Perhaps warm your tea a bit? Or call on Sarah to turn down your bed?"

She waved her hand in dismissal. "No, no. I'm fine. When James arrives I will call on her. Thank you, Henry." And with that said, he was out of sight, and in the kitchens.

Ally must have dozed off for a moment because she had a sudden wet feeling on her bosom. She had spilled the remainder of her tea down her dress. "Damn it to hell." She muttered as she patted down her damp chest.

"Not exactly the vocabulary expected from a Lady, Alison."

Ally jumped at the sound of her fiancée's voice from behind her. "James! You scared me."

His eyes devoured her wet breasts. Silk was a rich material, but when wet, it proved any woman of nobility to look like a street whore. She wrapped her silk robe tightly around her frail body. "Forgive me. I spilled my tea."

His gaze settled upon her face, his cheeks a little red from embarrasment of his obvious desire for her. He was supposed to be a gentlemen and he was caught acting just opposite. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

Ally drank in his appearance. His face was adorned with stubble because of the many hours spent in his office. His head was wigless and his hair pulled back into a messy pony. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top to reveal his chest which was lightly dusted with hair. He looked completely edible.

"Have you gone mute?" His tone was one of annoyance.

"N-no, of course not. I was waiting for you to return. I was worried." Alison was lying. She was waiting for him to come home and retire to his bedchamber so she was free to leave the mansion and fulfill her arrangement.

"Worried?" James's stomach fluttered. No woman had ever worried over him before. He was flattered. He quickly quelled all emotions stirring within him. He did not want to become attached to this woman.

"Yes. After our little fight, I was worried that you may have gone off. And with the talk of pirates about, I was concerned of your behalf."

"Pirates?" His eyes grew dark and his anger was building. "You dare mention 'pirates' to me after the stunt you pulled in my office this afternoon? You made it perfectly clear where you allegiance lies when it comes to _pirates_ or Port Royal."

She placed a hand upon his cheek. "My allegiance lies with you, James." Bullshit, which he hopefully could not smell. She needed to brown-nose her handsome fiancée to suppress any suspicions he may have of her loyalty to the man he put in the barracks earlier that day.

"Does it?" He was doubtful of her confession. But oh, how soft her hand was. He tried his hardest not to close his eyes and lean into her small, warm hand upon his face. It was so long now that he had felt a woman's touch. And his dreams would defy him when it came to his desire for Ally.

He reluctantly stepped away. They both felt a sudden emptiness. "You do not believe me?"

"How can I? You were desperate for his release." He took a moment and the wheels in his mind began to turn. "Do you have history with this man?" He hoped it was not the history he was picturing in his mind.

"It is simply that: history. It is a thing of the past."

Jealousy coursed through his every vein. He had stolen much from Norrington, but Alison was something he would not let him take. They made a smart match and he would not give up his future or the future of his children for any pirate. Especially the one held hostage in the barracks of Port Royal.

"If it is a thing of the past, why do you care of his well being?" He tried his hardest to smother his envy.

"Because he is a good man."

"Ha! You are blinded." Norrington turned his back to his betrothed and made way for the fire. He needed to warm his chilling blood.

"It would benefit Port Royal if he were navigating the seas."

"Oh really? And how may he accomplish that? He has nearly destroyed us in the past."

"He will not harm this land while I am standing on it. Nor will he allow any other pirate harm Port Royal. As long as I am on this island, he will protect it with all that he possesses."

"He is a pirate. He cares not for anyone but himself." He was incredulous and could not believe the audacity of Lady Claire. Could he really be marrying someone that dim?

"He cares for me, that I can assure you."

"Well, he cannot have you!" He had not meant to express his jealousy. He had fought hard to stifle it. But her talk of his admiration for her made him convey it, and he conveyed it loudly at that.

Ally was taken aback. "Never. I have told you before. My allegiance lies with you. He can care for me without me belonging to him." Alison blinked back her stinging tears. His expression had filled her heart with some sort of emotion. One she was not familiar with. But, she did not know if it was possessiveness or insecurity that forced him to say it. She hoped that it was his growing love and appreciation and an anticipation to marry her.

"Lady Claire, Jack Sparrow has not the capability to care. He has no heart." And with that, they were back to formality and bitterness and Commodore Norrington was back in his cold, dark cave. "I am going to retire. I think it wise that you do as well."

It was not a suggestion, it was an order. Alison knew better than to disobey. She had put him in a right state. "Very well. Goodnight _Commodore_." Lady Claire said no more as she bounded up the stairs, making it a point to slam the door to her bedroom behind her. Propriety or not, she was going to let Commodore Norrington know just how angry she was. And she would start with the discharge of Captain Jack Sparrow.

He had an appointment with the gallows in a fortnight. She had intended to free him tonight, but thought it unwise to do so after the discussion she had with the Commodore. Hopefully, her words would sink into his thickhead after a goodnight's sleep. "Posh." She muttered as she turned down her own bed. It was not Captain Jack Sparrow's actions that held him prisoner; it was Commodore James Norrington's ego.

**A/N: More to come! Hope you guys like it so far.**


	3. Chapter 3: Memories

**A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers!**

**Chapter 2: Memories**

_The wind was gusting. The only sound that filled her ears was the crashing of the waves. Her hair whipped across her mouth and as she licked her lips, all she could taste was salt. Her face was contorted in severe concentration and her knees were pulled up to her chest. Her chin rested atop her kneecaps and she had never felt as vulnerable as when she sat on the beach and watched the waves crash before her. The rain was threatening to fall and the air had a chill to it. _

_She did not look like a woman of nobility._

_Her skin was sun-kissed as was her hair. Normally, her hair was the color of the darkest night, but now, it was adorned with red and blonde. She was the only woman of stature in the port who looked like a peasant worker. It was because she spent her days where she was now, on the beach, just staring into the horizon, thinking. _

"_Find him. If it is the last thing you do, find him." Her mother's words stung her mind. That was the last thing she said to Alison before she died. _

_She thought back to the conversation. _

_"Ally, there is something that I need to tell you." Alison stared into her mother's eyes. They were green, like hers. But her complexion was fair and her hair was the color of a daffodil._

"_Yes, Mother?" She grabbed her mother's hand. Death was near for her. Her hand was ice cold, though it was very hot that day._

"_Alexander Claire is not your father." Her voice was meek, but not with weakness, with trepidation. Her mother studied her face to see her reaction._

_Alison's eyes were wide and her mouth agape. She knew she looked nothing like her father, but she adopted his stubbornness and kind smile. "H-how?"_

"_I married your father when I was pregnant. Though, he had no idea. And when you came into this world, to everyone but me, you arrived earlier than expected."_

_The wheels in Alison's head were turning. "Then who is?" Anger was rising in her throat. For twenty years her mother kept this from her._

"_Sparrow." Her voice was becoming strained. It was getting harder to cling onto the land of the living._

"_Sparrow?" Alison whispered to herself. She had heard that name before. "Where is he?"_

"_I do not know." Her mother muttered. Alison dropped her gaze to her hands. "He is a wonderful man – a free spirit."_

"_A free spirit?" Alison was growing more and more incredulous by the second._

"_Find him. If it is the last thing you do, find him." And with that, her mother gave way, and made for the land of the dead._

_Alison wept. She wept for days. After that moment, she spent all of her afternoons sitting on the beach and all of her nights lying in her bed. She barely ate, she barely spoke. _

_She gazed out to the sea, everyday, for a glimpse of knowledge as to where her true father resided. She knew that she would never find the answer that way, but it was all her mind and body could handle, for now._

_But this day, this particular day, as she sat on the beach as her usual routine, she caught a glimpse of a black ship with black sails. It was heading for the docks and it was heading there fast._

_Fear rose within her. She ran as fast as she could to her father's office. She knew he was there, because like her, that is the only place he sought comfort nowadays. "Father!" She called as she barged through his office door. _

_It was apparent that this was not the best time. Her father, Governor of Kingston, was in, what looked like a very important meeting. He looked up from the circle of men and into his daughter's eyes. He saw fear. "What is the matter, Sweet Pea?"_

_His voice was tender and loving. Just the sound of his voice comforted her in the most troubling of times. "Pirates." _

_Everyone in the room leapt from their seats. "Where?"_

"_Heading for the dock, at this very moment." _

_All of the men, except for her father, ran from the room and headed for the dock and the fort._

"_Are you sure they were pirates?" Her father asked._

"_Positive, Father. They fly the Jolly Roger."_

_Her father's face whitened. He was a brave man, but pirates instilled a very strong fear within his plump body. "Go home, Sweet Pea, and hide. Do not come out until I come for, do you understand?"_

_Alison Claire was not a hider, she was a fighter. "But Father --"_

"_No, Alison. You will hide! I cannot live with myself if something happens to you."_

"_Promise me you will come for me?"_

"_I promise." He embraced his only child within his arms. _

_Alison could not give a care in the world if he was not her blood. There may be another man in this world that shares the same blood as hers, but he was nothing more than a stranger. This man before her, this Alexander Claire, was her true and only father._

Alison awoke with sweat beading down her face and trickling down her back. She made for her balcony and inhaled the sweet, night air. She wiped a tear from her cheek. Her father had never come for her that night. In fact, that was the last time she had ever seen him.

Alison crossed her arms about her chest. It was a chilly night. With thoughts of her father and Captain Jack Sparrow still on her mind, she crawled back into her bed. It was but a moment before she was sleeping again.

But this time, she was falling. She was falling in a sea of blood, sweat and tears.

_The sound of rifles popping and swords clinking and cannonballs booming enveloped her ears as she sat in a cupboard in her bedroom. She hugged her knees and rocked back and forth. _

_It had been hours since the sounds had stopped, but they were still emblazoned in her mind. She knew in her heart that her father would never come for her, but she could not bring herself to step outside. _

"_Probably a pretty lot in this room, 'ere."_

"_Looks to me like a room of a pretty, little lass."_

_There were two men in her room. Two pirates. Panic rose within her. She silently prayed that they would not look where she resided._

"_Take a look at this."_

"_Ah, ha, ha. The captain will be pleased."_

"Y_es, I am pleased." Alison could hear resentment in his voice._

"_No, Jack, the Captain."_

"_I know."_

"_Nevermind." The other grumbled._

_Alison peered through the crack in the cupboard doors to see what item of hers they were speaking of. It was her mother's necklace. It was a string of black pearls. _

_Pirates or not, she would not let them take that particular belonging._

_Courage coursing through her veins, she stepped out of her hiding place. "Unhand that, at once." She commanded. _

_They both turned and surprise was etched across their faces. _

_Both pirates were equally dirty and smelly, but one struck within a sense of knowing._

"_Sparrow?" She asked, more to herself than to the man before her._

"_You've heard of me?" He smiled. He had several gold teeth. _

_Alison cringed. He was very handsome, in a grungy sort of way, but his breath was rancid. "You knew my mother?"_

_His eyebrows furrowed. "Afraid not, luv."_

"_Andromeda Claire." She looked at him for any sort of recognition._

"_Aye, never heard of 'er." He secretly pocketed her pearls but Alison was oblivious to his actions. "What's your name, luv?"_

"_Alison Claire."_

_His eyebrows arched. He had heard her name before. "Ally, then?"_

"_Yes, by some." _

"_Aye, I've heard of you, but not your mother." _

_The man with him cleared his throat. It seems that they both had forgotten his presence._

"_Jack, if you don't mind me intervenin', I don't think it wise to meddle with this here lass."_

_Jack looked at him with a questioning glare._

"_On a count you killed her father, the Govenor?" The man seemed perplexed that Jack did not know what he was talking about._

"_You killed my Father?" Alison's anger was boiling._

_Sparrow rolled his eyes. "Was an accident." He muttered._

"_Get out."_

_Jack Sparrow and his mate ignored her command and both turned back to her jewelry box. "GET OUT!" She hollered. They both jumped._

"_Can't do that, you see." _

"_Oh yes you very well can!" She pulled his dark, long dreadlocks and shoved him towards the door._

_He unsheathed his sword and placed it to her throat. She had never seen a man move so fast._

"_It's impossible I killed your father, luv, on a count that the man I killed wasn't your father," he spat._

_He stepped closer, she stepped back._

"_You knew my father?"_

"_Aye, I **know** your father."_

"_Are you my father?" Her voice was a mere whisper._

"_Afraid not."_

_Her face contorted in confusion. "But, your name -"_

"_Share the name of my father, luv." _

_Again, he stepped closer and she stepped back. The blade was still pressed to the nave of her neck._

"_S-so, you're my -"_

"_Aye, your brother."_

Again, Alison awoke with beads of sweat dripping down every inch of her body.


	4. Chapter 4: Explanations

**A/N: Huge thanks to all of my reviewers. I'm a bit iffy on this chapter. Some feedback would be great! Love you guys.**

**Chapter Four: Explanations**

_Ally lay in bed for hours. She was well past crying. She had shed all of the tears that her body could handle. She stared at the ceiling and as the wind blew through her drapes, her wet face felt cold. The sun was rising and the sound of the town bustling to clean up last night's mess filled her room._

_Jack and his mate were now in the barracks of Kingston, thanks to Ally. Brother or not, he killed her father. She could never forgive him._

_A soft rap on her door broke her from her depressing reverie. "Alison, Dear, it is Aunty Evelyn."_

"_Come in," Ally's soft voice called. _

_Ally did not look at her aunt, or the tears she could not afford to lose would fall._

"_Ally, I am so sorry about your father." _

_Ally finally brought her gaze to her Aunt's face. She looked so much like Alison's mother. _

_After staring at her Aunt for an eternity, she rested her eyes upon the ceiling again. She had no words for the woman before her._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Aunt drop her gaze to her fidgeting hands. They had never been close, and Ally knew that this must be uncomfortable for her._

_Still gazing up to the ceiling, she asked the question that had been prodding her mind all day. "How did my father die?" _

_She needed to know how Sparrow had killed her father. She had to know what type of man he actually was. If he shot him, than he was a coward. If he used his sword, than at least he gave her father a fighting chance. Either way, her hatred would not falter._

"_They well-informed me that he was shot by a soldier of Kingston by mishap. It is unknown whether he died by the bullet, or from the fire that he was trapped in." Her Aunt's voice was sorrowful._

_Ally's anger was intensifying. "Shot by a soldier by accident? That's impossible. He was shot by a pirate!" _

"_The soldier that shot him came forward. Out of guilt, I suspect. He declares that his gun was imperfect. He is to be hanged at sunrise on Tuesday."_

_Ally looked at her Aunt Evelyn with fire in her eyes. "I do not believe it!" _

_Evelyn was shocked by her accusations. "Why are you so adamant that he was shot by a pirate?"_

"_Because Jack Sparrow admitted to me that he killed my father!"_

"_That is impossible, Alison."_

_Alison sat bolt upright "How? How is it impossible that a savage killed the Governor of the town he was invading?" She was growing more and more infuriated by the moment._

"_Because residents of the town witnessed the incident!" It was apparent that her Aunt was becoming annoyed with Alison's ignorance._

_Alison was speechless. Why had Sparrow told her that he murdered her father? Alison held her Aunt's gaze. "No. I will not believe that my father died at the hands of his ally! It was his enemy that killed him!"_

"_Ally, there were others who claimed to have seen a pirate try to pull your father from the fire. Maybe, this 'pirate' feels guilty for not being able to save him? Perhaps it was his guilt speaking?"_

"_No pirate feels for anything or anyone except themselves, rum, and riches. No pirate would sacrifice their well-being for a man trapped in flames!"_

"_Well, we may never know the exact circumstances. But, it is a thing of the past. Your father is in a better place. We should be mourning him, not bickering over how he died."_

"_How can you be so thoughtless? Have you no sense of justice? If that man dies for a crime he did not commit, it will be murder!"_

"_He chose his fate by coming forward. But, even still, you should rest at ease; the pirate you speak of is to be killed also."_

"_He is to be hanged?" _

_Evelyn nodded._

_A million thoughts and emotions coursed throughout her. "I wish to see him." Alison's voice was meek. If her Aunt's recollection was correct, she wished to hear it from Sparrow. She needed to speak with him before he died._

"_I'm sorry, Alison, but I cannot let you do that."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because we have not the time. We have matters to address. That is why I am here."_

"_What matters? Father's funeral is already being handled by Uncle Benjamin. What other matters can there be?" Alison's tone was cold._

"_The matter of you being betrothed." Evelyn stood up and walked over the window and watched the people of Kingston flurry about._

_Alison's mouth and eyes were opened wide in an unpleasant shock. "Betrothed? You are surely kidding." _

"_I am afraid not. Before your Mother died, your Father arranged for you to marry a man of Port Royal. He was to inform you on Saturday. But, under the circumstances, the plans are going to fall through earlier than expected." Evelyn paused and waited for Ally to speak. She remained silent. _

_Evelyn pointed a finger at her and it cruelly reminded Alison of her late Mother. "A woman of your age cannot live under her own rule. You are to pack the heirlooms you wish to keep, take your father's fortune, and sell the estate. A ship, sailed by the British Navy, comes for you in the morning. I will be accompanying you, seeing as how your Mother has passed on, and will help you with wedding details. Your fiancée has yet to set a wedding date." Evelyn waited again, expecting the worst._

_Alison could not believe a word she was hearing. How could her father do this to her? He, who cherished love so much, had the capability of marrying off his Daughter for personal gain? That was what arranged marriages were all about, weren't they?_

"_No." Alison was blunt and completely serious._

_Aunt Evelyn sighed. "You haven't a choice. I will leave you to sort through your things. Be ready by sunrise." _

_And with anger still hanging in the air, she stalked out of the house and made for her own. She left Alison with a million thoughts racing through her mind._

Alison woke again. The past would not evade her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she soared through that horrible time.

Alison had been so angry with her Father and her Aunt. Marrying and moving were the last things that she wanted to be doing. But, when her fiancée had met her at the dock, holding a single red rose, her stomach swooped and her heart melted. He was extremely handsome, powerful, and kind and exactly the kind of man she could fall head over heels in love with. At least for that day. For the next morning, he had gotten word of Elizabeth Swann's death. It seemed that she had been very important to him, because from that day forward, he had been nothing but cold and distant with Alison. And Alison, being stubborn and raised by her Mother, was cold and distant in return.

Ally thought of the day's events. If he had wanted to recant the proposal before today's events, he seriously desired it now.

Alison sighed and lay back down in her bed. She was timid to fall asleep. She did not want to think about the past anymore. But her body was screaming for dreamland, and giving everything she had to resist, she fell into a slumber once more.

_Alison grabbed a lantern and her robe. She made her way silently to the front door. She had requested the night guard of the barracks let her visit with Jack Sparrow. And the night guard, who always fancied Alison, was happy to oblige._

"_Good Evening, Lady Claire," whispered the night guard as she approached. He had a boyish grin plastered to his boyish face._

"_Good Evening, Joseph," she whispered back._

_His grin grew wider. "Take as much time as you like, Milady."_

"_Thank you." Alison left her lantern at the top of the steps and made her way down. She grew more nervous with each step. She was going to face her Father's killer. Well, if that is what he was. But beyond that, he was her brother._

_She peered in each cell as she passed. Most of the prisoners were asleep. But one, who had his tri-corner hat pulled over his eyes, spoke to her as she walked by. She jumped. She had only seen his cellmate. Jack was sitting up against the wall, hidden in the shadows._

"_Come to kiss me goodbye, love?" He called._

_Alison stood before the iron bars, sending him the deadliest look she could muster. "Did you kill my father?"_

"_Why is it ye need to hear it twice?"_

"_Because I was informed otherwise."_

"_Aye, I killed Claire."_

"_Was he already dying when you finished him off?" Alison spat._

"_Someone got to him before me. I lit the place on fire." Jack came out of the shadows and Alison backed up. He was intimidating in the dim light._

"_Do you dare lie to me?"_

"_I don't lie." He gave a quirky smirk._

_His grin did nothing to falter her anger. _"_So you did not shoot him, then?"_

"_No, love."_

"_A peasant claims that a pirate tried to rescue him from the burning building. Was that you?"_

"_I don't run into burning buildings, I make 'em." _

_The other man in the cell grumbled in his sleep. Alison recognized him as the man that entered her house with Jack._

"_Did my father say anything to you before he died?"_

_Jack stared at Alison and remained silent. He seemed to be mentally deciding whether he wished to say anything more at all. "Aye."_

_Alison waited for him to continue, but he did not. "Well?"_

"_If I told ye, ye wouldn't believe me." Jack took out his compass and glanced at it. It was beyond her why he would look at his compass at a time like this._

"_Try me."_

"_He told me to light the place on fire."_

_Alison just stared at him, incredulously._

"_I told ye, ye wouldn't believe me."_

"_Well it is a rather hard thing to believe. Why would my father ask you to light the building on fire?"_

"_Said he was dying anyway. Said he didn't want the man that shot him to get caught."_

"_You're a liar."_

"_I may be a lot o' things, love, but a liar ain't one o' them." Jack turned his back to Alison._

_Alison just stared at his back for a while. She began to look around. She spotted a dog, asleep on the floor with keys in his mouth. She made for him and yanked the keys from his mouth. The dog did not wake. She wondered if he was dead._

_Ally walked over to Sparrow's cell and unlocked it. "Go." She said softly._

"_What?" He asked, turning around._

_Alison nodded her head in the direction of the exit._

"_Go. Leave."_

_Jack's brows furrowed. He decided that she was very serious and nudged his mate awake. "Gibbs, let's go."_

"_Don't ye know its bad luck to wake a man when he's sleepin'?" Gibbs asked, his eyes squinted in exhaustion._

"_Don't ye know ye going to be hanged unless ye wake up now?"_

_Gibbs stood up straight, all signs of fatigue wiped clear off his face. "How did ye-"_

_Jack pointed at Alison as they passed her. Before they bounded up the stairs, Jack looked back at her. "I'll pay ye a visit someday. Hopefully one where I don't end up behind bars? Maybe, if the time is right, I'll bring Dad."_

_It was odd hearing him say those words to her. She was still very confused as to whether she hated him or not. But the thought of her meeting her true father fluttered her stomach._

_Alison's thoughts drifted to tomorrow and her excitement fell. _"_Don't bother. I won't be here as of tomorrow."_

"_Where ye goin', love?"_

"_Port Royal."_

_Jack's eyes widened. "Why in the bloody hell would ye go there?"_

"_I'm to be married." Alison said softly._

_Jack seemed to be in deep thought. "I'll come see ye there."_

"_Jack, are ye mad?" Gibbs asked, shocked._

"_Not mad, just a pirate."_

Again, Alison woke. This time, it was the sun upon her face that stirred her. She was relieved that it was morning. She was sick of reminiscing in her dreams.

To this day she was still shocked that she had let Jack go. But, she trusted him somehow. She was relieved at what he had said about her father. She believed him.

Alison jumped at the soft rap at her door. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's James."

Alison quickly grabbed her robe and walked over to the door. "What is it?" She asked as she opened it.

"Will you join me for breakfast?"

"I'd love to."

"Great. I wish to discuss the wedding with you."

Curiosity piqued her. "What about it?"

"I received a letter from your father. He requests that we postpone the wedding so that he may walk you down the isle? I would like an explanation."

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	5. Chapter 5: Callings

**A/N: Short chapter. Thanks to my reviewers and readers. Love you guys.**

**Chapter Five: Callings**

Alison pushed her scrambled eggs around her plate. She pushed them all towards the middle, in order to hide the Norrington Family Crest that stared up at her menacingly. She yawned. She had been waiting for James to stop reading those letters that he read so often and to talk with her about his 'problem'.

Ally cleared her throat and looked up at her fiancée. His face was crunched in concentration. "James," She called.

"Mhmm?" He did not look up from the letters in his hand.

"James, are you just going to read those letters all morning? You asked me to join you for breakfast to talk with you." She placed her fork down and tossed her napkin from her lap to the table. She took a sip of her orange juice, her gaze never leaving his chiseled face.

"One moment, Alison." Again, he did not look at her when he spoke.

Alison sighed and looked out the window. She crossed her arms about her chest. She sighed a little louder.

He dropped the papers and looked at her. He was annoyed. "Are you happy now, _Darling_?"

She snorted. "Happy? Why, yes, _Sweetheart_, I am overjoyed."

He leaned back in his chair and observed her. "So?" He asked knowingly.

"So… what?"

"Are you going to tell me the meaning of the letter I received this morning?"

"I have no idea, James. My father is dead." She lied. But, how would James react if he knew that she and Jack Sparrow shared the same father?

"Well, then, I guess that's the end of it," He said sarcastically.

Alison glared at him. "What would you like me to tell you? Would you like me to lie and say, 'Yes, James, you were misinformed, my Father is not dead.'?"

James glared back. "I want the truth."

"I told you the truth! My father is dead! I wish the letter to be true, James, because I miss my Father more than you could ever know."

His expression softened and he stared at her. "I am sorry, Alison. I should not have been so hard on you."

It was Alison's turn for her disposition to soften. "No matter. I can only imagine how you must have felt reading that letter."

"You know, I liked your father very much," he admitted softly. "He was a good man."

"I loved him dearly." Alison looked at her hands. She felt tears pricking her eyes.

"I wish the letter were true. I would love to thank him if he were alive."

"For what?" Alison looked into her fiancée's eyes.

"For bringing me you."

Alison smiled for the first time in weeks. "Do you mean that?"

James stood up from his seat and walked over to her. He kneeled beside her and took his hand in hers. "I know that I have been very distant with you lately. After our argument last night, I thought about things. And, it would make me perhaps the happiest man on earth when we wed."

Alison eyes began to swell with tears and her stomach swooped. "And it would make me the happiest woman on earth." She laughed happily.

James planted a butterfly kiss upon her hand.

The voice of the head servant broke the moment. "Commodore Norrington?"

James stood up swiftly and cleared his throat. "Yes?" He was once again professional.

"You have a visitor."

"Who is it, Henry?"

"A man by the name of Sparrow? He says that he is earlier than expected and wishes you to pardon the intrusion."

James' face hardened and he looked questioningly down at his fiancée. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Tell the man that he may wait in the foyer, I have to have a quick word Lady Claire."

Henry nodded, bowed, and left the dining room.

**A/N: Wicked short, I'm sorry. The next one will be longer, promise.**


	6. Chapter 6: Departures

**A/N: I have two things to apologize for. Number one: sorry it has been sooooo long. And number two: sorry it is so short. It is painstakingly short. But, I promise there will be more soon. Love you guys!**

* * *

"Explain." James's eyes burned with a growing hatred. He hated how his life became so ridiculously screwed up with the arrival of Alison Claire. 

Alison debated on whether or not she should divulge her biggest secret to her fiancée who despised the whole Sparrow lot with all of his being.

She looked down at her hands.

"I know that you have everything to do with this, Alison."

"Jack Sparrow…" Alison started. But fear caught her secret in her throat.

"Yes?" Commodore Norrington asked impatiently.

"Well, the one in the barracks, he is my brother. I suspect the man in the foyer, is my father."

James's jaw clenched down hard and he closed his eyes. "Surely, this is not true?" He asked more to himself than to her. "Surely I am not marrying into the Sparrow family?"

Alison felt tears slide down her cheeks. He made her ashamed of her family. "My mother- she was in love with Jack Sparrow. Before she married my father- well, Alexander Claire- she became pregnant with me. She played as if it were Alexander's baby. She knew that she could never live a good life with Sparrow."

"You mean a luxiourous life, no doubt?" Norrington spat.

Alison looked into his hard eyes. She stood up. Her anger was radiating off of her. He struck a nerve. "How dare you?"

"No, Alison, how dare you?! You come into my house, with my hand in marriage, and all the while you are the bastard daughter of a pirate!?"

Alison's tears were streaming down her face. They were tears of hurt, anger, and betrayal. "You act as if it were my fault! I did not choose my father! I did not make my Mother's decisions! She made her own!"

"Yes, your Mother made very good decisions! Being impregnated by the shite of the sea and then milking Alexander Claire for all he's worth? No wonder you are the way that you are! Look at your role model!" James was screaming in her face. From his neck up was beat red with anger.

Alison smacked him across the face. "Do not speak ill of my Mother or my Father. Andromeda Claire loved Alexander Claire with all of her heart. And he loved her in return. She made a mistake. And with my best interest in her heart, she married Alexander. And they had a marriage that people envied. And how can you speak of proper role models, Commodore? You lock yourself up every day and leave the ones that care about you in the shadows. All because of a silly, little, dead girl and a harmless pirate. You are pathetic." Alison's tone was dangerously soft.

By the look on James's face, it was apparent that she had crossed the line.

"Go. Get out and take your lame excuse for a father with you. I will do you the favor and not send him to be hanged. I expect that your life will be pointless without him; with no one to care for you besides that pathetic excuse of a man. And take your brother with you. But, if I ever so much as hear any of your names, I can assure you that I will send out the largest fleet of men that you have ever seen. And, I will hang you all by the neck until dead. That, my dear Ally, is a promise." James turned his back to Alison and gazed out to the sea.

Alison stood there. Her heart was broken and her face was wet with tears. There were more threatening to fall. But, she held them back.

She nodded her head and quietly left the dining room. She walked into the foyer and wiped her face.

"Ally?"

Alison whipped around and faced the voice that spoke to her. It was Jack Sparrow, her father. She ran to him and hugged him tighter than she had ever hugged another soul in her life.

He rubbed her back. He had never been shown such affection since the day of Andromeda Claire.

She looked up into his eyes. He nodded.

"Let's go get us some more Sparrow. Before he's knocked out of the family tree, eh?"

Alison smiled softly. "Where are we going to go?"

"Ever been to Tortuga?"

"No."

"Aye, then that's where we'll head. I hope you like rum."

"Never tried it."

"You ain't a Sparrow unless you drink rum, then."

"I've never needed to be a Sparrow so much in my life. Neither have I been in such dire need of alcohol."

"Get your things and then we'll rescue old Jackie. I've got enough rum to fill the sea back on the ship. It's off limits to Jackie, o' course."

Alison wiped her face again, ran up the stairs, gathered her lightest dresses, and departed with the only person left in the world to care for her. And she did it with her head held high, even though her heart was buried deep in the sand.

* * *

James stood in front of the window for hours. He watched as Ally got onto the ship with her father and brother. Finally, he tore himself away and left for his office. He could not stand to watch her sail away. He knew that she would be gone forever, with the words that he spoke to her. But, no matter what blood ran through her veins, he could not help but be overcome with grief. He needed her more than he expected. 


	7. Chapter 7: Illusions

**A/N: Holy moley guys. It has been tooooooo long. I'm sorry. But, I've been busy planning my wedding! Yep, I'm getting married to the most AMAZING man. Anyhow. I hope you enjoy this update. Its inspiration was from watching DMC recently and a review from a distressed reader who I appreciate dearly. This chapter is for you, Ninavs2. I'm very excited how that just rhymed.**

* * *

"Blue eyes, sun-kissed skin, dark hair. He be 'de epitome of a male specimen. Candied words flowin' from 'dem soft lips. Rough in all 'de right places. Intelligent. What's not to like?" Asked Roslyn, the only other female aboard the Black Pearl, as she dipped a rag into a bucket of soapy water.

"Wasn't that poetic?" Ally asked sarcastically. "You forgot to mention that he's a thief," Ally responded as she inspected her pruned hands. They had been dispersed in murky, dish water for the last hour -a task she handled every night for the last week (or so she assumed). Feeding a crew of thirty created many dishes.

Roslyn stopped her caresses of the dark, wooden table and looked at Ally with pure awe. "He be a pirate."

"And every pirate is a thief." Ally responded, her eyes not meeting her peers'.

"Ye be som'ting else, deary," she said, shaking her head. "Are ye forgettin' 'dat ye got pirate in yer blood? Did ye not know what be a pirate when ye boarded 'dis here ship?"

Ally looked at Roslyn for the first time since their conversation started. She pondered her friend's question. "I guess not."

Roslyn dropped the rag back into the bucket and wiped her hands on her dress. "Sheltered, ye were."

Ally sighed. "Enough about my deprived childhood."

"A bit dramatic don't ye tink?"

"That was the point, Rosy. Who is he anyway?" Ally reverted back to their original topic of discussion.

"Sparrow picked him up when we was gettin' ye. Said he need a way te get te Tortuga."

"He doesn't really look like a pirate." Ally noted.

"I don't tink he be one, deary. No pirate has de name of Jonathan. Dat be a name of nobility."

Ally took a seat at the table. Roslyn took a seat beside her.

A thought dawned upon Ally. "Do you think he is with the Navy?"

"I tink Sparrow would've known if he be. He senses tings like dat."

Ally sighed. "I guess the only way to find out is to ask him."

"Why don't ye do dat, deary. I tink he'd tell ye of all people."

Ally's brow furrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"Ye should see de way he looks at ye. Be like der's no one else around." Roslyn smiled, wrinkles tugged the corners of her dark eyes and her teeth were yellowed with age. She was so mysterious. Ally always wanted to know about her, but could sense her barricade that she hid so carefully.

Roslyn sensed her thoughts and her smile faded. She stood up quickly and flattened her dress. "Well, it be gettin' late. De sun be settin' soon. I tink I'll get some beauty sleep. G'night, deary."

And with that, she left the kitchen and quickly headed for her cabin.

Ally left the kitchen and walked up onto the deck. She spotted Jack, her brother, steering the ship as he gazed intently at his compass. There weren't many others about. A few were mopping and some were manning the sails. Ally slowly walked towards the bow of the ship.

A faint voice caught her attention. She looked up. Someone was sitting in the crow's nest, and they were singing.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."

Ally frowned. It was Jonathan, the passenger which Ally was very skeptical of. Ally climbed up the mast, determinedly. Ally reached the top and earned his gaze when she sat beside him. He smiled and continued his song.

"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"

"Well isn't that the cliché of the century." Ally snapped. Her nerves were on edge.

"How is it that you are so tart when you breathe this air and gaze upon this view?" He questioned as he motioned in front of him and breathed deeply.

Ally ignored his comment and gazed out at sea. "Who are you?" She asked, barely audible.

"I am Jonathan." He replied, merrily.

"Well, I figured that much. But why do you wish to be on this ship, sailing to Tortuga?"

"Because I have always desired see it and I despise Port Royal." He replied, simply.

"I've lived in Port Royal for a month and I have never seen you until now."

"That would be because I had to make myself invisible." He winked.

Ally stared at him, contemplating. "Are you a pirate?"

He laughed. "Absolutely not."

Ally squinted her eyes in skepticism. "Than why do you keep in hiding?"

"There are other ways to make the wrong people unhappy."

"Really? Enlighten me." She demanded, coldly.

"Well, for one, you can write about a well-known person's deepest, darkest secret and become filthy rich in their demise." He winked again.

"You're a writer?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"You got it."

"Than, why are you here?" Ally began to grow agitated.

He smiled at her, warmly. "If I told you, I would have to kill you. And what a shame that would be."

"Fine." Ally crossed her arms about her chest and looked away from him, stubbornly.

He ignored her temper. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked, quietly. His eyes were transfixed ahead of them.

"Isn't what beautiful?" She questioned, curiously, her anger subsiding.

"The horizon."

"A horizon is just an illusion," she stated, flatly. "All beauty is just an illusion," She finished bitterly.

Jonathan stared over at her. "You find joy in nothing."

Ally glared back at him. "Do not speak of which you do not know." And with that, she gathered her dress and climbed back down the mast, leaving him alone to ponder how he would melt her icy heart.

* * *

Commodore James Norrington sat in the sand, staring out into the horizon. He wondered how something so beautiful could bring no happiness to him. He felt as though nothing would ever bring him happiness again. And then her face flashed across his mind. He flinched.

James stood up quickly. He licked his salt-crusted lips. His being swelled with resolve. "I need to bring her back."

His swell of determination deflated a bit. He would have to do it on his own. If he involved the Navy, they would want to see punishment to the pirates aboard the same ship as Ally. He would never win her back that way.

He looked to the docks, as if the tied-up, Naval vessels would bring him answers.

And miraculously, they did. They reminded him of a name; the name of a man in which he never wished to see again. But, this man was his only hope, no matter how much hate and jealousy sparked within him at the simple mention of him.

And with his mind made up, he headed for the center of Port Royal. Because there, resided his hope and only chance of a happy future.

**A/N: Any guesses as to who James is going to see? And what of our new, male character? I promise he is of the utmost importance. But, a bit of a forewarning for those who haven't figured it out yet: The Sparrows are not a big part in this story. Sorry, Jack-lovers.**


	8. Chapter 8: Meetings

**A/N: Sorry for the looooong delay. Much love to you!**

* * *

James pulled his royal blue jacket tighter around his body and adjusted his wig. The wind was blowing hard. He quickened his pace towards the heart of town. He was growing antsier with each clicking step on the cobbled street. He sighed in relief as he spotted the familiar sign dancing with the wind. As he approached the front entrance, he spotted a shadow behind the wooden statue beside the shop. His peripheral vision and subconscious kept a keen eye as he knocked on the doors of the candlelit building. He knew the man kept house there and it was after hours, so knocking was only courteous. As he waited for his call to be answered, he noted a movement from the dark shape. He turned his head quickly, wincing as it cricked.

The dark figure, almost inaudibly, drawled something queer. "Take heed. The path you are choosing may not bring the results you desire."

James took a moment to take in what he assumed he just heard. Believing his ears of trickery, he asked, "pardon?"

She, or so James understood, stepped into the dim light shining from the window of the store which she hid next to. Suddenly, what she said wasn't nearly as odd as how she looked. Trinkets adorned her light hair, in almost the same manner as Sparrow. Her clothes were unusually colorful and her skirt was patterned with pictures depicting grotesque and erotic scenes. She wore a disgustingly tight bodice and James's eye lingered but a moment on her protruding breasts. Her exposed, pale skin was tattooed with symbols that James did not recognize and her eyes were of the brightest blue.

"I said to use caution. The path you are choosing may not bring the results you wish."

"Madame, are you ill?" James asked, timidly. He was not sure how to respond to her statements.

"You are planning a journey?" She asked as she subconsciously traced the tattoos on her arms.

"I haven't the slightest clue what-"

"Do not lie." She drawled as she exposed her brown teeth in a tauntingly, crude smile. "I know what you are up to, Commodore. You seek the sword-maker. You eyed the ships. Your love left you for a freer life. But, if you go searching the seas, you may not find what you seek. A storm is building in the land that lacks propriety. A storm which may lead to your end. But remember, James, there are things worse than death. The end which lies ahead, if you wake this man, is far, far worse than death."

Her smile never left her face and James was growing more nervous and enthralled with every word she spoke.

"A fortuneteller? A certain risk you have taken to expose yourself to a man of law. Witchery is not tolerated in Port Royal and many have hanged because of it. Tell me, are you really telling the future or is it simple speculation? Have you been spying on the Commodore of the Navy? Are you living a life of meaning and nobility, vicariously, through me?"

Her smile faded and James suddenly regretted his boldness and poor choice in words.

"So many questions not concerning yourself. Have you heard nothing I have said?"

"I heard every word," James said, smugly.

"And you dare to speak in that manner? After I risked my life for yours? You think I not know what fate lies ahead for those who talk of predictions? But, James, I see the futures of those I can help. And your vision, such a sad one at that, came to me as I watched you gaze out to the sea. As a man of," her face twisted in disgust, "nobility, you are free to act and think as you please. I warn you to not forget the words granted to you. If you disregard them, you will surely end up alone with nothing but feelings of shame, regret, and anger. If you continue, with ignorance, than your fate is sealed. And if you hold anger towards me, I will gladly take a noose to the neck in honor of those who have before me—those who reached out, as I have, to the faithless."

James's anger was boiling. "You know my fate as I know yours. Your appointment with the gallows will be made after I tend to the matters that I planned. That, my dear, is not fortunetelling, but fortune-making." James felt like a hormonal little boy as he took his wounded ego out on the witch. His gaze left her unusual body and watched his fist pound, once more, on the wooden door before him.

"You have made no future but your own. You have awoken the sword-maker and there will be no turning back. You will not find me. I will not hang and you will leave Port Royal." And with her final, frustrating, words spoken, she sank back into the shadow she came from.

James laughed. "You think I am daft?" James stepped away from the door and fixed his head behind the wooden man. His breath caught in his throat and his cocky smile subsided. She was gone. James rubbed his eyes and glared harder into the dark corner. It was eerily empty.

Her voice was in tune with the blowing wind, "she will come back to you, if you wait for her."

James jumped at her voice and bumped his head on the wooden arm. He rubbed the tender spot as he stood back in front of the door. "It was just a dream, James." To prove himself right, he pinched himself. He flinched at the unexpected pain. "Alright. It was a hallucination. A hallucination from lack of sleep." James adjusted his coat and laughed.

As he continued to convince himself, he knocked again. He heard the loud clanking of wood on metal as the door was being unlocked. Satisfaction and confidence swept over him.

A sleepy man stood in the doorway with surprise etched on his handsome face. "Commodore Norrington?"

James nodded, "William Turner."

"What in the blazes do you want?" Will's grudge was evident in his tone. Regardless, he stepped aside, gesturing an invitation for James to enter.

"I have a proposition for you; one that will lead to some much needed redemption." James spoke with pride as he stepped over the threshold.

* * *

Ally's father stared intently at the land they were approaching. Ally stood beside him looking in the same direction, but not at all focusing on what was before her. Her mind was on something else, something that had been bothering her for many nights.

Ally cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I do not wish to go there, Dad."

"But Tortuga is a jolly-good time, love," he stated as his gaze never left the docks of Tortuga.

"You know what I mean," Ally spat. She harbored much anger towards him because of his avoidance of her feelings.

"Can't be avoided. Either you come, or you don't," he turned, looked her in the eyes for but a moment, and left her side to be by his son's.

"I don't, then," Ally whispered to herself. She would not be getting back onto the ship when they left the following night.

* * *

Jonathan was the first to walk off of the ship and onto the dock. He could not wait to meet with the man that had, or so he said in the letter, 'life-altering information'. He practically ran to the bar as stated in the man's script. He was so excited, in fact, that he did not realize a certain someone tracing his steps in a very subtle way.

* * *

Ally was still very skeptical of Jonathan. So, when she spotted him practically shoving Gibbs out of the way to get off of the ship, she was convinced that he was up to no good. She followed her instincts and trailed behind him.

He entered one of the many bars and taverns in Tortuga. Ally waited a moment, and entered after him. She went straight for the bar and delicately searched for Jonathan.

"What'll it be, Missy?" Spat a sloppy bartender with no teeth.

"Nothing thanks." By the look given by the bartender, it was not appreciated. Ally figured she ought to order something so as not to look too conspicuous. "Rum, please."

Not two seconds later did the man slam down the pint in front of her, the brown liquid swishing all over the bar-top. Ally forced a smile, placed a shilling down, and muttered her thanks as she looked over her shoulder at the couple in the back of the tavern. She spotted a table- closer to the two men- hidden in the shadows of the opposite corner. She slowly made her way over and quietly rested her cup down as she gently pulled out the heavy, wooden chair. She sat down, her eyes never leaving Jonathan.

"Would you like a drink?" The man beside Jonathan asked. Ally noted how he tried very hard to fit in with those that resided in Tortuga. He was dirty but underneath the filth, Ally noted, were very new clothes. He also had all of his teeth. And by the looks he was getting from the other patrons, they noted how sketchy he looked also.

"Stop wasting my time and tell me already! I can not be here long; the others will realize I am gone." Jonathan throatily whispered.

"Careful, Edwards. Without what I have, you will remain a fugitive."

"I am not so sure you even have anything anymore, Eric. Not by the way you are procrastinating." He spat at the man.

"Do not call me by that name!" Eric whispered, huskily.

Ally leaned a little closer to the direction of their conversation. It was very straining trying to hear every word muttered between them.

Jonathan sent daggers across the table towards Eric. "Tell me what I need and let's be done with it."

"Alright, alright." Eric looked around to see if anyone was listening. Ally quickly moved her body upright and back into the shadow. He did not spot her. "You reside in Port Royal, correct?"

"I did, yes." Jonathan responded.

"Than you know of Commodore James Norrington?"

Ally's jaw dropped and she listened even more intently.

"Yes, but only from behind iron bars," Jonathan whispered back. There was slight resentment in his voice.

"Well, what if I told you that I know a secret of his that could bring down the entire fleet of the Port Royal Navy?" Eric slowly smiled.

Jonathan sat further forward with anticipation. "Than I would give you forty percent of all riches I inherit from the damages it creates."

Eric smiled wider. "Excellent."

**A/N: And that's all for now, folks!**


End file.
